High-yield cultivation techniques of bitter melon in autumn

Autumn planting of bitter melon is usually scheduled from July to August every year. In the southern region, seeds are generally sown in spring from January to March, in summer from April to May, and in autumn from July to August. Let’s learn about the high-yield cultivation technology of bitter melon in autumn.

1. Land preparation and bed making

Bitter melon should not be planted continuously. It is recommended to rotate the crops for 2-3 years and choose land that has not been planted with bitter melon in recent years. Deep plowing is carried out in the previous year, 4000-5000 kg of farmyard manure is applied before spring planting, and shallow plowing is carried out to make the bed. Flat or raised beds are usually made with a width of 150 cm.

2. Timely transplanting

Generally, two rows are planted in each bed, and the plant spacing is maintained at 33-50 cm. 1600-2400 plants can be planted per acre. When transplanting, choose healthy and strong seedlings, and eliminate sick, weak, leggy, without growth points, seedlings that are infested with insects and have root damage. It is best to transplant in the morning on a sunny day. Remove the nutrient pots, dig holes and plant according to the predetermined plant spacing, then cover with soil to stabilize it and water it thoroughly. The planting depth should be such that the upper surface of the seedling ball is 1 cm lower than the bed surface.

3. Field Management

1. Intertillage and weeding

In the early stage of growth, the soil needs to be tilled and loosened, while in the later stage, weeding is required. The first tillage should be done after watering the seedlings and when the topsoil is slightly dry. Be careful not to damage the roots, especially the roots of the seedlings should be tilled shallowly. The second tillage should be carried out 10-15 days after the first. If the soil is dry, water it first and then tillage it. When the melon vines grow to more than 0.5 meters, they are no longer suitable for tillage because the roots have spread throughout the rows and have been planted on racks. However, weeding is still necessary to improve ventilation and light conditions in the field and reduce diseases and pests. When missing seedlings or sick or weak seedlings are found, they should be replanted in time.

2. Fertilizer and water management

Bitter melon has many female flowers, which can bloom and bear fruit continuously, and the harvest period is until the first frost. Therefore, bitter melon has a long growing period and requires attention to fertilizer and water management. After entering the melon harvest period, water once every 7-10 days if there is no rain. Apply fertilizer with the water after each watering. The amount of topdressing is 10-15 kg of urea or 15-20 kg of ammonium sulfate per mu. You can also apply 10-15 kg of compound fertilizer . Apply phosphate fertilizer 2-3 times during the peak fruit-bearing period, each time applying 10-15 kg of superphosphate. In the later stage of fruiting, the supply of fertilizer and water needs to be strengthened to prevent poor plant growth due to lack of fertilizer, which will affect yield and quality.

3. Plant adjustment

Planting racks: After the bitter melon seedlings have grown, when the vines begin to climb, the racks should be planted in time. When cultivating on a large scale, it is better to insert a character frame, which can be inserted into a flower rack to resist wind. When cultivating sporadically, you can build a trellis or other shaping racks. The rack must be solid and firm.

Pruning and pruning: Bitter melon has a strong branching ability, so it needs pruning and pruning to remove excess or weak branches, concentrate nutrients, and ensure that the main vine grows strong. When leading the vines onto the shelves, promptly remove side branches below 1 meter. Side branches above 1 meter can be temporarily retained. After the fruit is set, leave two leaves and pinch off the top. After the side branch fruits are harvested, the side branches can be removed. In the later stage of growth, remove dense, weak side branches and old, yellow and diseased leaves to facilitate ventilation and light transmission and extend the harvest period.

4. Harvest at the right time

The harvesting standards for bitter melon are relatively loose, and both young and mature melons can be eaten. To ensure quality, increase the number of subsequent fruits and improve yield, more medium-ripe fruits should be harvested. The suitable harvesting period is 12-15 days after flowering, and it should be harvested in time. The stripes and tumor-like grains on the peel of green-skinned bitter melon are enlarged and protruding, plump and shiny, and the corolla on the top becomes dry and falls off; the front half of the fruit of white-skinned bitter melon turns from green to white-green, and the surface is shiny. Harvesting too early will affect the yield, while harvesting too late will reduce the quality and also affect the yield. The harvest period varies according to region, variety, and cultivation season, and needs to be adapted to local conditions.

To sum up, if the climatic conditions in your area are suitable, autumn is a suitable season for growing bitter melon. However, the specific planting time may need to be adjusted according to the specific climatic conditions of the location.